House Bill 159 Weapon-Free Higher Education Zone - Floor Debate Tomorrow the 8th

zoostation · Feb 10, 2017

fabsroman said:
Huge difference between it being campus policy and it being a statute that makes it a criminal offense that carries a possible 3 year prison sentence. Again, the law enforcement supporters will say, "But police and the State's Attorney have charging discretion." Yep, and God help you if you are on the wrong side of that discretion when you unknowingly violate this proposed law.

Those who point to discretion as a source of comfort should ask the guy who had his house raided and was charged with a felony because he had a motorcycle helmet cam video of a trooper pulling him over that had its sound turned on. I was shocked, literally shocked by that and even more so that the Harford County SA pursued it. And I know the SA a little, went to school with his son even, and I was still shocked. And if things like that can happen in Harford County with a very conservative Republican State's Attorney, think about what "discretion" around the beltway and in Baltimore will look like.

pbharvey · Feb 10, 2017

fabsroman said:
I knew I was preaching to the choir when I contacted my representatives:

Dear Mr. FabsRoman,

I am in complete agreement with your comments on this bill. This same legislation was introduced during the 2016 session; I spoke against it and voted against it.

I opposed the bill this year for precisely the same reasons you note, including (1) it dictates a blanket set of rules for all universities, (2) it prohibits individuals with wear and carry permits from carrying on campus, and (3) the penalties imposed by this bill are extreme – and unconstitutional.

I’m not sure everyone understands the far-reaching nature of the penalty portion of this bill. Although positioned as a misdemeanor, a conviction under this law carries the possibility of a three-year jail term. But even if you receive no jail time upon conviction, you will still permanently lose your right to own a firearm, simply because the law allows for a penalty of more than two years!

What is significantly unfair -- and, I believe, unconstitutional -- is that you can violate this potential law accidentally. Because the firearm prohibition extends to “all university property,” it includes far more than the actual campus of a college. The University of Maryland owns property all over the state. Anyone with a firearm in the trunk of the car to go hunting or skeet shooting, or anyone with the right to carry may enter upon a university property unaware that it is included in the ban. Apartment complexes that house students are also covered by the ban, even if the property is not owned by the university.

The state must have a compelling reason to take away a Constitutionally protected right, and to permit the state to permanently ban our right “to keep and bear arms” for committing a misdemeanor without any intent to do so, cannot be allowed.

This year, I offered an amendment that would have made any unintentional violation a civil matter, subject only to a fine. Even that minor change was defeated by the legislature.
The bill will likely be coming up for a vote in the House fairly quickly. We will fight hard against it; unfortunately, we will lose.

If the bill then passes the Senate, it will become law, unless the governor vetoes it. Even if he does veto the bill, the majority party in the House and Senate has the votes to override any veto.

I wish there was more we could do; but we have been and continue to try very hard to stop this bill.

Sincerely,

Trent Kittleman
District 9A
Judiciary Committee
202 Lowe House Office Building | Annapolis, MD 21401

Me too.
I emailed her and Miller anyway just so they are reassured that their constituents are behind them.
She brings up some very good points, a few of which affect me directly since I often shoot clays after work.

fabsroman · Feb 10, 2017

zoostation said:
I'd love to see the good doctor produce some clinical evidence of his bogus claim that these measure have been successful in reducing public school violence. He could also be a good bit more honest and admit that the bill affects far more institutions than the University of Maryland System. And as fabs pointed out, he quite downplays the difference between a school policy violation and three years in the klink.

He is a she, and she is a plastic surgeon.

http://www.unmaskthebeauty.com/

Know thy enemy. It makes me want to puke that she represents a portion of Howard County. Those of you living in her district in Howard County, or even Baltimore County for that matter, get on the horn, keyboard, telegraph, or whatever you need to, to make her aware of your position on this matter. Tell your friends too.

Jim12 · Feb 10, 2017

If, as proponents assert, it works as a policy guideline, why does it need to be codified with criminal penalties?

If it doesn't work, what leads them to believe that criminalizing it will make it work? Are these the same numbnuts who support decriminalization of drugs because it only results in making innocent people criminals?

There is no factual basis, logic, or reasoning to these people's assertions and their laws. It's just, "Because I Said So."

zoostation · Feb 10, 2017

pbharvey said:
Me too.
I emailed her and Miller anyway just so they are reassured that their constituents are behind them.
She brings up some very good points, a few of which affect me directly since I often shoot clays after work.

The bill worries me on a direct level as well. As the parent of a community college student at a relatively remote campus, these sleezebags are advertising that the kids there are helpless to every thug and crazy who cares to look. It's just plain morally wrong what they are doing and they are endangering kids by doing it. But they don't care. When have leftists ever cared about the real life effects their codified forms of mental illness have on others.

fabsroman · Feb 10, 2017

pbharvey said:
Me too.
I emailed her and Miller anyway just so they are reassured that their constituents are behind them.
She brings up some very good points, a few of which affect me directly since I often shoot clays after work.

Hopefully, you included Gail Bates in there too. I've run into her a couple of times and spoken to her about business issues and gun laws. I have yet to meet with Miller or Trent Kittleman, but I have written them a lot. lol

If you told me a decade ago I would be involved with politics, I would have told you, you are NUTS. Kind of like telling me back then that I would be involved with the PTA.

pbharvey · Feb 10, 2017

It just passed the House

fabsroman · Feb 10, 2017

pbharvey said:
It just passed the House

Yay, ^&*(*(#@^&$(&*#@%*@(_*%(@#*$(*#@(*%*&@#%*&(^@*$%_)(@#_$%*@*(#&%*(@&#)%(*@(#*%()@*#%

Now, I need to go looking for some good news.

pbharvey · Feb 10, 2017

fabsroman said:
Hopefully, you included Gail Bates in there too. I've run into her a couple of times and spoken to her about business issues and gun laws. I have yet to meet with Miller or Trent Kittleman, but I have written them a lot. lol

If you told me a decade ago I would be involved with politics, I would have told you, you are NUTS. Kind of like telling me back then that I would be involved with the PTA.

She's my Senator so I'll contact her on the Senate bill.
She's a terrific 2A advocate.

zoostation · Feb 10, 2017

pbharvey said:
It just passed the House

I think it did last year too but died in the Senate. Hopefully that will happen again.

Applehd · Feb 10, 2017

The good doctor...

KevinK · Feb 10, 2017

Applehd said:
The good doctor...

I'd trust as much as this Doctor.

pbharvey · Feb 10, 2017

zoostation said:
The bill worries me on a direct level as well. As the parent of a community college student at a relatively remote campus, these sleezebags are advertising that the kids there are helpless to every thug and crazy who cares to look. It's just plain morally wrong what they are doing and they are endangering kids by doing it. But they don't care. When have leftists ever cared about the real life effects their codified forms of mental illness have on others.

Twice a year I shoot in a 10 week league after work. My job takes me all over the place including university properties that are remote locations from the main campus. Actually unless you are in the know, you'd think you were driving into an industrial complex or a farm. The universities have research facilities all over the state and many are leased out to other organizations who are doing the research with grant money. I've never seen a student or professor at some of these places.

How about the AACC building on the Arundel Mills property. Is the parking lot around the college building covered under this bill? How many people buy a gun at Bass Pro and drive through their lot?

dblas · Feb 10, 2017

zoostation said:
I think it did last year too but died in the Senate. Hopefully that will happen again.

Indeed it did, time to start hammering the Senators on the Committee.

Hixster · Feb 10, 2017

I guess none of our elected officials ever noticed that most mass shootings occur in gun free zones.

Abacab · Feb 10, 2017

Hixster said:
I guess none of our elected officials ever noticed that most mass shootings occur in gun free zones.

It's all about politics. No one really believes this will stop mass shootings unless you're one of the true believers. They think this is the one gun fight they can win.

Unfortunately, even with a veto, they have the numbers. House vote was one short of the 60% they need but 7 Democrats were absent.

Abacab · Feb 10, 2017

Where's the Maryland Hunting Coalition of this? What about those kids that go to Salisbury or out in western Maryland that like to hunt and take their guns with them?

lazarus · Feb 10, 2017

fabsroman said:
Hopefully, you included Gail Bates in there too. I've run into her a couple of times and spoken to her about business issues and gun laws. I have yet to meet with Miller or Trent Kittleman, but I have written them a lot. lol

If you told me a decade ago I would be involved with politics, I would have told you, you are NUTS. Kind of like telling me back then that I would be involved with the PTA.

Me too. I just emailed all 3 of them on this, the long gun transfer and the antique firearm one.

rockstarr · Feb 10, 2017

why is it EVERY year these bastards are just relentless on taking our rights away and trying to make us criminals!!!

swinokur · Feb 10, 2017

for liberals-there is nothing but the fight.

House Bill 159 Weapon-Free Higher Education Zone - Floor Debate Tomorrow the 8th

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